The present invention relates to image-based document processing systems, and is particularly directed to processing documents in an image-based document processing system, such as an image-based check processing system, to associate recognition results to improve assistance to an operator of the image-based document processing system.
A typical image-based check processing system includes a number of different types of workstations. The different types of workstations may include a document preparation workstation, an image capture workstation, a recognition workstation, a keying and balancing workstation, an encoding workstation, and a printing workstation. An image capture workstation creates units of work and submits the created work to a workflow manager in a known way. Workstations downstream from the image capture workstation poll the workflow manager in a known manner for work to perform, and may also create units of work which are submitted back to the workflow manager. Image data and codeline data are processed at the different workstations.
During typical operation of known image-based check processing systems, an image capture workstation captures images of bank documents such as checks and deposit slips being processed and sends these images to a recognition workstation which recognizes the amount of each bank document. When adding machine tapes are present, the image capture workstation also captures images of the adding machine tapes and sends these images to the recognition workstation which also recognizes the amount of each adding machine tape. Accordingly, the recognition workstation provides recognition results associated with the bank documents and recognition results associated with the adding machine tapes.
The bank documents are grouped into transactions. A single transaction consists of credits and debits. One or more transactions are grouped together into a batch. Within a single transaction, the sum of credit amounts and the sum of debit amounts must balance. To balance each transaction, an operator manually keys in certain amounts. The certain amounts keyed in are based upon images provided by the image capture workstation.
Recognition results from adding machine tapes or deposit slip listings are sometimes used to enhance system performance. To enhance system performance, it is necessary to associate each amount read from an adding machine tape or a deposit slip listing with a corresponding amount read from a bank document. In some known check processing systems, an operator manually associates amounts read from bank documents with amounts read from adding machine tapes or deposit slip listings. In some other known check processing systems, a processor associates amounts read from bank documents with amounts read from adding machine tapes or deposit slip listings without operator intervention.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a method of processing documents in an image-based document processing system to associate recognition results from a primary source results list with corresponding recognition results from a secondary source results list to improve assistance to an operator of the image-based document processing system during operation of the image-based document processing system comprises the steps of (a) scanning a first type of document to obtain scanned data representative thereof, (b) scanning a second type of document to obtain scanned data representative thereof, (c) processing scanned data representative of the first type of document to provide recognition results associated with the first type of document, (d) processing scanned data representative of the second type of document to provide recognition results associated with the second document, (e) storing recognition results associated with the first type of document in a primary list, (f) storing recognition results associated with the second type of document in a secondary list, (g) comparing recognition results from the primary list with recognition results from the secondary list to determine if an exact match occurs and thereby to associate a first set of recognition results from the primary list and a first set of recognition results from the secondary list, and (h) comparing recognition results from the primary list with recognition results from the secondary list to determine if an approximate match occurs when an exact match fails to occur in step (g) and thereby to associate a second set of recognition results from the primary list and a second set of recognition results from the secondary list.
Preferably, step (g) includes the steps of (g-1) comparing recognition results from the primary list with recognition results from the secondary list to determine if an exact local match occurs, and (g-2) comparing recognition results from the primary list with recognition results from the secondary list to determine if an exact global match occurs. Step (h) includes the step of (h-1) comparing recognition results from the primary source results list of step (e) with recognition results from the secondary list to determine if an approximate local match occurs.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus is provided for processing documents in an image-based document processing system to associate recognition results from a primary source results list with corresponding recognition results from a secondary source results list to improve assistance to an operator of the image-based document processing system during operation of the image-based document processing system. The apparatus comprises means for scanning a first and second types of documents to obtain scanned data representative thereof. Means is provided for processing scanned data representative of the first and second types of documents to provide recognition results associated therewith. Means is provided for storing recognition results associated with the first type of document in a primary list and recognition results associated with the second type of document in a secondary list. Means is provided for (i) comparing recognition results from the primary list with recognition results from the secondary list to determine if an exact match occurs and thereby to associate a first set of recognition results from the primary list and a first set of recognition results from the secondary list, and (ii) comparing recognition results from the primary list with recognition results from the secondary list to determine if an approximate match occurs when an exact match fails to occur and thereby to associate a second set of recognition results from the primary list and a second set of recognition results from the secondary list.